Palm Beach XI Christened in Sydney: A Legend Reborn for The 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race

by Palm Beach Motor Yachts 18 Dec 2025 21:30 GMT

After an extraordinary five-month sprint, Mark Richards and his team are nearing completion of a transformation few would attempt on a yacht of this pedigree.

More than 300 guests gathered at the historic Woolwich Dock on Sydney Harbour to witness the christening of the newly modified Supermaxi Palm Beach XI, formerly known as Wild Oats XI. The christening of Palm Beach XI was done by venerable Australian yachtsman and longtime friend and Palm Beach Motor Yacht owner Colin O'Neil.

The event marked the culmination of a 165-day global transformation of the 20-year-old Supermaxi designed to return her back to the world stage of ocean racing starting with the 80th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race taking place on 26th December.

Palm Beach XI is close to getting ready to join the international fleet of 133 entries — the second-largest starting line-up this century for the 628 nautical mile race - to contend with 5 other World-Class 100-foot Supermaxi's for the line honours trophy.

"It's a full-circle moment," said Richards. "I'm deeply grateful to the Oatley family for their amazing support and friendship over the past 26 years. Twenty years ago, we made Wild Oats XI a benchmark in global ocean racing. To now carry that legacy forward as Palm Beach XI—under new ownership and as a global brand ambassador for Palm Beach Motor Yachts—is both an honour and a responsibility I'm proud to lead."

Richards also emphasised the huge team effort: "You can only take on a project like this with an experienced and trusted team. Many of our team members have worked on this yacht on and off for the past 20 years. The last couple of months they worked around the clock to make this dream a reality - it was great to see their passion and enthusiasm for Palm Beach XI. Really incredible! Now we are very much looking forward to seeing Palm Beach XI competing and performing at the highest level."

A Next-Generation Appendage Package

The upgraded appendage package represents the most significant transformation in Palm Beach XI's two-decade career.

Highlights include:

• New Deeper Keel Fin and Bulb - designed to reduce drag and maximize righting moment.
• Advanced Upwind Daggerboards - delivering sharper pointing ability and reduced drag and leeway in all conditions.
• Radical C-Foils - engineered to optimize lift, minimize drag, and provide enhanced righting moment for reaching and downwind sailing angles.

Collectively, these innovations are designed not only to return Palm Beach XI to the front of the Rolex Sydney Hobart fleet, but also to serve as a living technology platform where insights will inform the Palm Beach Motor Yachts' luxury motor yacht range.

Palm Beach XI 2.5 Year Global Sailing Calendar

Palm Beach XI's global roadshow will include the next three Rolex Sydney Hobarts, the Newport (Rhode Island) Bermuda Race, the Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii and Hamilton Island Race Week in 2027 to wrap up the campaign.

For more information, visit www.palmbeachxi.com